Blains
What Were Blains?
Blains is an archaic English word referring to inflamed, fluid-filled pustules or blisters that form around boils or sores. In the Bible, the term appears in the King James Version of Exodus 9:9-10, describing the sixth plague that God brought upon Egypt. The Hebrew word is derived from a root meaning "to bubble up," vividly capturing the appearance of swollen, oozing skin lesions.
Modern translations typically render this as "boils" or "festering boils," making the medical nature of the affliction clearer to contemporary readers.
The Sixth Plague of Egypt
The plague of boils was the sixth in the series of ten plagues God sent upon Egypt to compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery. God instructed Moses and Aaron to take handfuls of soot from a kiln and throw it into the air before Pharaoh (Exodus 9:8). The soot became fine dust that spread over the entire land of Egypt, causing boils with blains to break out on both people and animals (Exodus 9:9-10).
This plague was particularly devastating because it struck the human body directly. The Egyptian magicians, who had attempted to replicate earlier plagues, could not even stand before Moses because the boils were so severe upon them (Exodus 9:11). Their inability to resist or counter this plague demonstrated the powerlessness of Egyptian magic against the God of Israel.
The Escalation of the Plagues
The plague of blains represents a significant escalation in God's judgments against Egypt. The earlier plagues affected water, land, and livestock, but the boils struck human flesh directly. This pattern of intensification, from inconvenience to discomfort to physical suffering to death, runs through the entire plague narrative, building toward the final devastating blow: the death of the firstborn (Exodus 12:29-30).
The sixth plague also marks the first time that no negotiation or warning is recorded. God simply commanded Moses to act, and the plague fell immediately. Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he refused to listen (Exodus 9:12).
Connections to Other Biblical Passages
The affliction of boils and blains appears elsewhere in Scripture. Job was struck with painful boils from the soles of his feet to the top of his head (Job 2:7), and the medieval English translator Wycliffe described Job's sores using the same Old English word. In Deuteronomy 28:27, God warns that disobedience to the covenant will bring "the boils of Egypt" upon the people, a direct reference back to the sixth plague.
The book of Revelation echoes this plague when the first bowl of God's wrath produces "harmful and painful sores" on those who bear the mark of the beast (Revelation 16:2), drawing a deliberate parallel between the exodus judgments and the final judgments of history.
Theological Meaning
The plague of blains demonstrated God's authority over the human body itself and exposed the impotence of Egyptian religion. The magicians who served Egypt's gods were themselves afflicted and helpless. This plague may have specifically targeted the Egyptian god Thoth or the goddess Isis, who were believed to have healing powers. The message was clear: the God of Israel held power over sickness and health, and no human or divine rival could stand against him.
Biblical Context
Blains appear in Exodus 9:9-10 as part of the sixth plague of Egypt. The plague narrative spans Exodus 7-12, with the boils representing a critical escalation in God's judgments. Related passages include Job 2:7 (Job's boils), Deuteronomy 28:27 (covenant curses referencing Egyptian boils), and Revelation 16:2 (the first bowl judgment producing sores).
Theological Significance
The plague of blains demonstrates God's sovereignty over the human body and his power to judge those who oppose his purposes. The inability of Egypt's magicians to withstand or cure the boils showed the futility of false religion against the living God. The plague also foreshadows the ultimate judgment of Revelation, where painful sores are part of God's final reckoning with evil.
Historical Background
Ancient Egyptian medical texts, including the Ebers Papyrus (c. 1550 BC), describe various skin diseases and their treatments, showing that boils and skin afflictions were well known in the ancient world. Egyptian religion included healing deities such as Sekhmet and Isis. The plague of boils would have been understood as a direct challenge to these divine healers. The use of kiln soot as the agent of plague may also symbolize the oppressive forced labor the Israelites endured in Egypt's brick kilns.